Otocinclus vittatus

Best added to a mature planted tank, with pieces of bogwood for resting places.

Compatibility:

Peaceful, keep in a group.

Temperature:

21-26oC (70-79oF)

Water chemistry:

Fairly soft, acidic to around neutral pH (6.0-7.5)

Feeding:

Excellent algae eater, supplement with other green foods and small frozen/live foods.

Sexing:

Males are smaller and slimmer than females.

Breeding:

Eggs are laid on the leaves of plants and hatch in about 3 days.
Provide plenty of algae, green food and tiny particulate foods, such as the liquid suspension types, for the fry.

Comments:

This is probably the most commonly imported species of Otocinclus.
Otocinclus catfish are the ideal algae eater for small to medium sized tanks.
They can be difficult to acclimatise initially, and efficient filtration is essential.
They are frequently reported to die for no apparent reason after adding to a new tank.